[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 33, Volume 3]

[Revised as of July 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 33CFR207.640]



[Page 89-91]

 

                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS

 

 CHAPTER II--CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF 

                                 DEFENSE

 

PART 207_NAVIGATION REGULATIONS--Table of Contents

 

Sec.  207.640  Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel Barge Lock and 

Approach Canals; use, administration, and navigation.



    (a) Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel Barge Lock and Approach 

Canals; use, administration and navigation--(1) General. The lock, its 

approach channels and all its appurtenances, including the highway and 

railroad bridge, shall be under the jurisdiction of the District 

Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Federal and Courts 

Building, 650 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, California. His designated 

representative at the locality shall be the lockmaster, who will be in 

immediate charge of movement and position of all water traffic while at 

or near the locks and in the barge canals.

    (2) Immediate control. The lockmaster shall be charged with the 

immediate control and management of the lock, bridge, and of the area 

set aside as the lock area, including the entrance channels. He shall 

see that all laws, rules and regulations for the use of the lock, bridge 

and the lock area are duly complied with, to which end he is authorized 

to give all necessary orders and directions in accordance therewith, 

both to employees of the Government and to any and every person within 

the Government lock area. Crews shall render such assistance in the 

lockage of their craft as may be required by the lockmaster.

    (3) Signals--(i) Sound. All craft desiring lockage shall signal by 

two long blasts followed by two short blasts of the whistle, delivered 

at a distance of one-half mile from the lock. When the lock is ready for 

entrance, notice will be given by one long blast from the control house. 

Permission to leave the lock will be one short blast given by the 

lockmaster.

    (ii) Visual lock traffic signals. Visual signals are located outside 

of each lock gate on the north guide wall, and will be used in 

conjunction with sound signals. When the red light is flashing, lock 

cannot be made ready for entrance immediately, vessel must stand clear. 

When the amber light is flashing, lock is being made ready, prepare for 

lockage. When the green light is flashing, lock is ready for entrance, 

the vessel may proceed with caution into the lock.

    (iii) Visual river traffic signals. Visual signals are located on 

the south bank of the barge canal at the confluence with the Sacramento 

River and also 1,950 feet upstream on the west bank of the Sacramento 

River. When the red light is on, a river-bound vessel of a size making 

passing in the canal hazardous is in the lock or canal. Approaching 

vessel shall stand clear of canal to permit out-going vessel to pass. 

When the amber light is on, a river-bound vessel of a size to permit 

passing is in the lock or canal. Vessel may enter canal with caution. 

When the green light is on, vessel may enter canal and proceed under 

full control.

    (iv) Radio. The lock is equipped with two-way radio operating on a 

frequency of 156.60 mc. The frequency is monitored by the lock 

personnel. Vessels equipped with two-way radio may communicate with the 

crew operating the lock but communications or signals so received will 

only augment and not replace the sound and visual signals.

    (4) Permissible dimensions of vessels and tows. The lock chamber has 

a maximum usable width of 86 feet and length of 600 feet. The sill at 

the harbor end and the bottom of the lock chamber are -13.0 feet 

elevation, CofE



[[Page 90]]



datum, and usually provides a depth of water ranging from 14.0 feet at 

LLW to 19.4 feet at HHW, with greater depths during large floods in the 

delta. The sill at the river end is at -10.0 feet elevation, CofE datum, 

and usually provides a depth of water ranging from 14.6 feet at LLW to 

16.8 feet at HHW, with greater depths when the river is high. The depth 

of water at any time is indicated by staff gages located on the south 

wall of the lock, riverward and harborward of each lock gate and at the 

center of the lock. A vessel must not attempt to enter the lock if its 

beam or length is greater than indicated above, or if its draft exceeds 

the depth of water indicated by the gages, with due allowance for 

clearance.

    (5) Precedence at lock. Ordinarily, craft will be locked through in 

order of arrival; however, depending upon whether the lock is full or 

empty, this precedence may be modified at the discretion of the 

lockmaster if boats are approaching from the opposite direction and are 

within reasonable distance of the lock at the time of the approach by 

the first boat. When several craft are to pass, precedence shall be 

given as follows:



First: Government owned or controlled craft.

Second: Commercial craft.

Third: Passenger boats.

Fourth: Small vessels and pleasure boats.



    (6) Loss of turn. Boats that fail to enter the lock with reasonable 

promptness, after being authorized to do so, shall lose their turn.

    (7) Multiple lockage. The lockmaster shall decide whether one or 

more vessels may be locked through at the same time.

    (8) Speed. Vessels shall not be raced or crowded alongside another 

in the barge canals. When entering the barge canals and lock, speed 

shall be reduced to a minimum consistent with safe navigation. As a 

general rule, when a number of vessels are entering the lock, the 

following vessel shall remain at least 200 feet astern of the vessel 

ahead. No overtaking, except when directed by lockmaster, will be 

permitted.

    (9) Lockage of small boats--(i) General. The lockage of pleasure 

boats, skiffs, fishing boats and other small craft will be coordinated 

with the lockage of commercial craft. If no commercial craft are 

scheduled to be locked through within a reasonable time, not to exceed 

one hour after the arrival of the small craft at the lock, separate 

lockage will be made for such small craft.

    (ii) Signals. Small boats desiring to use the lock will sound two 

long blasts followed by two short blasts of the horn. When the lock is 

ready for entrance, the lockmaster will notify the small boat by one 

long blast of the horn; or through the public address system. Permission 

to leave the lock will be given by the lockmaster by one short blast of 

the horn.

    (10) Mooring in lock. All boats, when in the lock, shall be moored 

to the fastenings provided for that purpose, by bow and stern lines and 

other spring lines as may be necessary, and the lines shall not be let 

go until the signal is given by the lockmaster for the craft to leave 

the lock.

    (11) Waiting for lockage. The mooring or anchoring of boats or other 

craft in the approaches to the lock, where such mooring will interfere 

with navigation of the lock is prohibited. All boats, barge tows and 

other craft to be passed through the lock shall lie in designated 

waiting areas in such manner as not to interfere with the navigation of 

the lock or its approaches, and, if a barge tow is to be divided into 

sections for locking, the sections shall be brought into the lock as 

directed by the lockmaster. After passing through the lock, the sections 

shall be reassembled at such a distance from the entrance as not to 

obstruct or interfere with navigation of the lock or its approaches.

    (12) Delay in lock. Boats or barges must not obstruct navigation by 

unnecessary delays in entering or leaving the lock.

    (13) Damage to lock or other structures. The regulations contained 

in this paragraph shall not relieve the owners and operators of vessels 

from liability for any damage by their operations to the lock or other 

structures. They must use great care not to strike any part of the lock, 

any gate or appurtenance thereto, or machinery for operating the gates, 

or the walls protecting the banks of the approach canals. All boats with 

metal nosings or projecting irons,



[[Page 91]]



or rough surfaces that would be liable to damage the gates or lock 

walls, will not be permitted to enter the lock unless provided with 

suitable buffers and fenders.

    (14) Tows. Tows shall be made up outside the canal entrance. All 

vessels engaged in towing other vessels not equipped with a rudder shall 

use two tow lines or a bridge and one tow line. If the vessel in tow is 

equipped with a rudder, one tow line may be used. All tow lines or 

hawsers must be hauled as short as practicable for safe handling of 

tows.

    (15) Crew to move craft. The pilots in charge of tows and persons in 

charge of other craft must provide a sufficient number of men to handle 

lines in mooring craft and to move barges and other craft into and out 

of the lock easily and promptly.

    (16) Handling valves, gates, bridges and machinery. No person, 

unless authorized by the lockmaster shall open or close any bridge, 

gate, valve or operate any machinery in connection with the lock; but 

the lockmaster may, under emergency conditions, call for assistance from 

the master of any boat using the lock, should such aid be necessary, and 

when rendering such assistance, the man so employed shall be strictly 

under the orders of the lockmaster.

    (17) Landing of freight. No one shall land freight or baggage on or 

over the walls of the lock so as in any way to delay or interfere with 

navigation or the operation of the lock.

    (18) Refuse in lock. No material of any kind shall be thrown or 

discharged into the lock, and no material of any kind shall be deposited 

into the lock area.

    (19) [Reserved]

    (20) Persistent violation of regulations. If the owner or pilot of 

any boat persistently violates the regulations of this paragraph after 

due notice of the same, lockage may be refused by the lockmaster at the 

time of the violation or subsequent thereto, as required in the interest 

of public safety or protection of Government property.

    (21) Other laws and regulations. In all other respects, the existing 

Federal laws, rules and regulations affecting navigable waters of the 

United States will govern in the use, administration and navigation of 

the ship channel, lock and its approaches.



[26 FR 11201, Nov. 28, 1961, as amended at 27 FR 4737, May 18, 1962; 27 

FR 10484, Oct. 27, 1962; 28 FR 8461, Aug. 17, 1963; 31 FR 6590, May 3, 

1966; 33 FR 14166, Sept. 19, 1968; 42 FR 17120, Mar. 31, 1977; 42 FR 

57962, Nov. 7, 1977; 48 FR 6708, Feb. 15, 1983; 50 FR 42696, Oct. 22, 

1985; 51 FR 25198, July 11, 1986; 56 FR 13765, Apr. 4, 1991]